1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to oxidizing agent replacers and to their methods of preparation. More specifically, the present invention relates to a potassium bromate replacer comprising an ascorbic acid composition that replaces an oxidizing agent of potassium bromate and to methods for their preparation.
2. Background of the Invention.
Oxidizing agents provide strengthening of dough during the manufacturing process of yeast-leavened products. As a result, oxidizing agents are used to provide greater loaf volume, improve internal characteristics such as grain and texture, and enhance symmetry and keeping quality of yeast-leavened products.
The manufacturing process of yeast-leavened products benefits from the effect of a dough oxidizing agent in the mixing, proofing, baking, and/or other stages of the process. Oxidizing agents are similar in contributing to the strengthening of dough but have different rates of reaction. For example, oxidizing agents such as potassium iodate, azodicarbonamide, and ascorbic acid are fast acting and mainly functional during mixing and to a slight extent during proofing, but are largely dissipated during the later stages of proofing and the early stages of baking. Potassium bromate is a slow acting oxidant and mainly functional during the later stages of proofing and the early stages of baking. Thus, the baker can combine fast and slow acting oxidants to provide adequate strengthening of dough throughout the entire manufacturing process. However, these combined oxidants have disadvantages because they become chemical additives, thereby requiring full labelling by complete chemical name. The present invention has advantages of using ascorbic acid as the only oxidizing agent and providing adequate strengthening of dough throughout the entire manufacturing process.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations also limit the levels of all oxidizing agents permitted for use in yeast-leavened products, except ascorbic acid. The bromates and iodates should not exceed 75 ppm (parts per million) by weight of flour used in the formula. Azodicarbonamide may be used in addition to bromates and iodates at a level of not more than 45 ppm. Currently, no limitation for ascorbic acid exists except "safe and suitable", although previously this was specified as 200 ppm maximum. Thus, the present invention is particularly useful that it provides natural ascorbic acid as the only oxidizing agent in dough that is effective and functional throughout the entire manufacturing process.
In order to allow ascorbic acid to be functional during the early stage of baking, ascorbic acid can be encapsulated with high-melting point fat that will not melt until the baking stage has reached the adequate temperature in the oven. The ascorbic acid can also be coated with 2 to 3% edible cellulose to obtain longer shelf life during storage than uncoated ascorbic acid. Both encapsulated and coated ascorbic acids have disadvantages as these are not functional during the later stages of proofing. The present invention has the advantage of using unmodified ascorbic acid that is functional throughout the entire manufacturing process. However, coated ascorbic acid can also be used in accordance with the teachings of the present invention to increase the shelf life of ascorbic acid.
Due to its natural status, the only oxidizing agent approved in many parts of the world is ascorbic acid. Potassium bromate is a major oxidant used in the United States, although its use has been banned in the State of California.
Oxidizing agents that do not contain potassium bromate are now available to the baker in powdered and tablet forms. In addition to ascorbic acid and/or azodicarbonamide, potassium bromate replacers contain calcium peroxide, L-cystein, fungal enzymes, and other edible excipients. As more bakers are replacing potassium bromate with ascorbic acid only or potassium bromate replacers, they are discovering that product quality has suffered. Continuously mixed and frozen doughs seem to have suffered the most. Thus, a need exists in the baking industry for an effective potassiu bromate replacer to produce high quality, yeast-leavened products. As a result, much effort has been directed to provide an oxidizing agent that replaces potassium bromate.
To function as a potassium bromate replacer, many known compositions that are currently in use include ascorbic acid as the only oxidizing agent or combine ascorbic acid with other oxidizing agents and/or ingredients. However, these potassium bromate replacers have disadvantages because these have a fast or intermediate reaction rate and thus, they are not functional during the later stages of proofing or the early stages of baking.
Given the state of the existing potassium bromate replacers, there is a continuing need for a new and effective potassium bromate replacer using ascorbic acid as the only oxidizing agent that is functional throughout the entire manufacturing process of yeast-leavened products. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an effective potassium bromate replacer.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an ascorbic acid composition suitable in the preparation of the potassium bromate replacer and methods for their preparation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide the ascorbic acid composition that acts as a slow acting oxidant that is functional throughout the entire manufacturing process.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide properly oxidized dough needed in the production of high quality, yeast-leavened products using ascorbic acid as the only oxidizing agent.
By achieving the objects in accordance with the purpose of the invention, the present invention overcomes many disadvantages of the potassium bromate replacers or other oxidizing agents that are currently in use. The advantages of the potassium bromate replacer provided in the present invention are:
(a) It comprises all natural ingredients. PA1 (b) It is a slow acting oxidant that is functional throughout the entire manufacturing process. PA1 (c) It is an effective oxidant that produces properly oxidized dough needed in the production of high quality, yeast-leavened products. PA1 (d) It is specifically adapted for various methods of the breadmaking process.
Furthermore, the potassium bromate replacer provided in the present invention is a more effective oxidant than potassium bromate because potassium bromate has little effect on oxidation of dough during mixing and the early stages of proofing.